Deshaun Watson has some competition for the most dramatic quarterback situation this offseason – it looks like things are a bit shady in the Pacific Northwest. Tensions are rising between Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, and as a resident of Deadspin’s Seahawks, it’s my job to try to explain this current situation while keeping my heart above all out. So here it goes.
First, the contract. Wilson is the third highest-paid quarterback in the league (and all-time) with an average annual salary of $ 35 million. Until the Texans backed the Brinks truck for Watson for $ 39 million a year and the Chiefs essentially made Muhammad the governor of Missouri with the largest contract in all of American sports history (450 million of dollars in ten years), Wilson was at the top of the list.
Here’s the difference: Muhammad and Watson are 26. Wilson has 33.
So where did the rumors of trouble in paradise begin? Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (so grab it with a grain of salt) posted to twitter that “he felt Russell Wilson’s camp has become increasingly frustrated by the Seahawks’ inability to protect the eight-time Pro Bowler. He has been sacked 394 times in 9 seasons. This situation guarantees control. “At first, this seemed like low-season smoke coming from the agent of a player trying to pressure an organization to make some changes. I didn’t really buy it. Then, on Tuesday, at a press conference Zoom in after winning the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award on Saturday, Wilson confirmed reports from La Canfora.
“I am frustrated to receive too many blows. I’m frustrated with that, ”Wilson said.
Wilson also appeared on the Dan Patrick show, where he was asked if the Seahawks have received calls about a possible trade for him. “Yeah, sure I think they’ve gotten calls, sure,” Wilson said. “Yes, but you are a franchise quarterback, you are a Hall of Fame quarterback. You’re not available, are you? Patrick asked. “I’m not sure if I’m available or not, it’s a Seahawks question.” He went on to say, “I’m not sure how long I’ll play in Seattle, I hope it’s forever, but things are changing. “.
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The next day, Patrick reported that the Seahawks Brass isn’t too happy with Wilson’s frankness this week. “A source told me the Seahawks management is not happy with Russell Wilson and his camp for bringing this to the media,” Patrick said. “You wonder if they can coexist. The current situation is not sustainable. That’s what they told me. “
Wilson has every right to feel frustrated. Since 2014, the last time the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl (oh, good morning … remember when we were supposed to be the next dynasty, and then Pete Carroll fucked it up by shooting at the finish line and losing the locker room? Fun moments), no team has spent less on their offensive line than Seattle and no team has signed back fewer offensive lines than Seattle. They haven’t signed any offensive line solitaires to get a second contract. Not one. To be fair, I also wouldn’t sign that junk general manager John Schneider has been drafting since.
So where are things? Wilson has an absurdly high contract and is 33, Schneider inexplicably received a six-year extension (after specifically asked the Seahawks not to do so), the Seahawks are expected to only have around $ 2 million of maximum space for the 2021 season, only have three draft picks this year, not have a first round for the next two drafts (which I guess which doesn’t matter because Schneider can’t get a first selection to save his life) and have aged stars in their impact positions. Oh, and Wilson feels frustrated by them and they feel frustrated by him.
That’s all right. It’s totally fine.
It would be almost unprecedented for a team to change a franchise quarterback with a Hall of Fame resume, but the Seahawks run out of options. Schneider’s new contract guarantees him the freedom to rebuild this team without worrying about his job security. The only question the Seahawks have to ask is whether they agree with the acceptance of mediocrity until Wilson leaves free agency within three years, or whether they want to get something in return. ‘him and press the reset button. And, in that sense, it hurts my stomach and it’s time to do some Pepto Bismol session and therapy.